Here's a link:

[url]www.townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/ct20011211.shtml[/url]

The article is excellent.

Here are some excerpts:

In essence, yes.

Christians should just go ahead and gather in groups as they wish WITHOUT gov't permission and pray whenever and however they want.

No one should be forced into participating. We should NOT expect public schools that teach evolution and situational ethics to be involved in prayer to God they don't beleive exists. Not only is it wrong to do so, it is stupid.

Was there ever a time Christ sought Rome's permission to do any of God's business??

NO.

Well, neither should Christians.

That IS the Biblical model. Be willing to take your lumps.

Garandman, I just finished writing a paper about the necessity of Church and State.  I could go on for hours.  The problem with posts like this is that most Christians haven't the slightest notion of what Jesus was actually saying.

When told to render unto Ceasar that which was Ceasars and to render unto God that which was God's, Jesus of Nazareth was making a VERY distinct [i]political[/i] comment.

Background:
"It is like a grain of mustard seed," He said, "which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof."

Jesus was commenting that the mustard seed, being a common bushlike weed would crowd out the better herbs.  Mustard plants are a writhing, wiry, invasive plant.  Rome was the mustard seed of the time, crowding out that which the Jews viewed as the holy land.

Now, Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16  And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17  Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19  Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20  And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21  They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
22  When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

The Ceasars were considered the direct conscript of the Gods of Rome.  Decendants and basically the divine hands of the Gods, much like the pre-war Japanese emperors.  When Jesus said to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar and render unto God that which is God's, he was actually saying that the Ceasars were common men (within the disease of Rome) and did not deserve the following of men.  He was saying to serve only God and not Rome.  At the time this was a very frightening comment to make in public.  Such things eventually got him executed.

M_D  -

I thnk if you'll look again, you'll see that the "grain of a mustard seed "is a reference to the Kingdom of God, not to Rome.


FWIW -

This passage has received MANY different interpretations, even within single denominations.

So I guess religious people (shouldn't be / don't have a right to be) involved in politics.

I think you are missing the point. HOW you are missing the point I am NOT sure.


Cal Thomas HIMSELF, the author,  is a Christian, and I would rate him as VERY involved in politics.

But, for sake of clarity, let me state it simply. The message of Christ is to be taken into the heart willingly on an individual basis, NOT forced on the unwilling under threat of gov't.

if i may jump in here...

i think the idea is that we should all try to live ethical and moral lives appropriate to our respective belief systems, leading by virtuous example. that does not preclude us from participation in the secular aspects of life(including politics), but it is also not an invitation to force our belief systems on others.

ok, i'm jumping out now.